General Facts about Alcohol

How Alcohol Works in Our Body
Alcohol & Our Brain
Hangovers
How to Drink to Reduce Negative Consequences

How Alcohol Works in Our Body

Once alcohol is consumed it is gathered in the stomach. At that point about 20-percent goes right through the walls of the stomach and intestines and into the bloodstream. The rest of it stays in the stomach to be disposed of by the body. Alcohol, unlike food, is not digested. It is oxidized, or burned by the liver.

The liver can oxidize about one ounce of alcohol an hour-the rest remains to be picked by the blood cells and brought to the brain. So, instead of picking up oxygen or other elements, now blood is carrying alcohol to the brain. BAC (blood alcohol content) is the amount of alcohol in the blood.

When blood gets to the brain it drops off the alcohol like it would oxygen and the alcohol starts working on the different sections of the brain.

Alcohol & Our Brain

Judgment Center
The judgment center of the brain makes decisions about perceptions, abilities, attitudes, etc. It is the part of the brain that perceives comfortability, choices. The judgment center also tells one how they are doing in terms of how much they have had to drink. The part of the brain that should tell one to slow down or stop drinking is the first part to become impaired.

Motor Activity
The second level of the brain that likely is to be affected is the one that controls motor activity, including muscles, speech, etc. This part of the brain also affects response time, hand-eye coordination, etc.

Emotions and Feelings
Alcohol can work like a volume button on emotions (crying, sadness, anger, violence).

Memories/Blackouts
The body begins to respond to poisoning and attempts to protect itself. It does this in two ways: by passing out and throwing up, to either prevent putting more alcohol in the body or as a way to get the “toxic” levels of alcohol out.
Blackout: not passing out, but not remembering anything even though a person seems conscious.

Involuntary Muscles
This part of the brain manages the involuntary muscles such as lungs and heart. A person may drink so much that he/she overdoses on alcohol and could possibly die. At this point, they need medical attention immediately.

Hangovers

Eating a little something and drinking a lot of water before sleeping after drinking can lessen the intensity of the next day's hangover. (This is not to say that eating will sober you up while you are drunk.) When a person eats, the stomach holds the food for digestion, closing its contents off from the small intestine. Since alcohol is absorbed into the body most quickly from the small intestine, if alcohol cannot reach the small intestine, it will slow down the absorption process. However, the alcohol will still be absorbed through the stomach, which will take longer and allows the liver to break down the alcohol that is already in the bloodstream. Giving the alcohol time to be metabolized is what lessens the hungover feeling.
HANGOVER INFORMATION

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How To Drink to Reduce Negative Consequences

Eat before drinking.
Food slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed, lowering peak blood alcohol levels. But remember, fat does not absorb alcohol; so eating a salad and sandwich before drinking will do better than greasy fries.

Drink Slowly.
Drinking too much often results from drinking too fast.

Space your drinks.
Even though alcohol affects everyone differently, it is generally suggested to limit alcohol consumption to one drink an hour.

Stay hydrated.
A good pattern to develop is one glass of water for each alcoholic beverage. Drinking a lot of water while or after drinking will also help to lesson the effects of a hangover the next day.

Don't take it straight.
Diluting alcohol with water or juices also slows down absorption into the blood stream. But be careful, mixing it with carbonated beverages speeds up the absorption process.

Set a drinking limit.
Know—and respect—your personal drinking limit. Notice how different amounts affect you. Then set a realistic limit to your own drinking—and stick to it.

Take Control.
Always have a designated driver and never operate any vehicles (including bicycles) while under the influence of alcohol.

Adapted from a brochure “Hangovers: The Agony After the Ecstasy,” published by the Do it Now Foundation, Tempe, AZ: 1999.

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